The man entered the bank about 11 a.m. wearing dark-rimmed glasses with a fake mustache attached to it, and handed a note to an employee that demanded money from her register. The note also stated not to use a dye pack or he would blow up the bank. The man then handed the employee a white plastic bag, which she filled with an undisclosed amount of money before handing it back to him.

He left the bank and was last seen walking west toward Kohl's.

During the investigation, police got a tip from a security guard at Caterpiller Global Mining in South Milwaukee, who said a man matching the description of the robbery suspect was at their facility that day speaking to another employee. A detective spoke to the employee, who said the man was his roommate. Officers went to the apartment in South Milwaukee and arrested the 25-year-old man.

Oct. 27, 2012 6:46 a.m. | For much of Friday night’s WIAA Division 2 football playoff game, Brookfield East was not in top form, while Greendale was playing well.

As a result, the game turned out to be a tight, exciting affair – but in the end, the Spartans made just a few more big plays than the Panthers and walked away with a 28-21 triumph at Stephen J. Gavinski Field in Greendale.

East improved to 10-0 and notched its first-ever second-round playoff victory. The Spartans will meet either Whitefish Bay or Brookfield Central next weekend in a third-round contest.

Greendale, meanwhile, finished an up-and-down season at 6-4.

“It was a great effort,” East head coach Tom Swittel said, “but we just didn’t play well. We were just out of sync on offense and defense. A lot of credit has to go to Greendale for that. They (the Panthers) played extremely well tonight, maybe as well as they could play, I don’t know.

On Sept. 21, Oak Creek thumped Bradford, 42-10. It was clear from the pregame
introductions, however, that Bradford wasn’t about to back down from a dogfight.

“Five weeks ago they handled us on both sides of the ball,” Bradford head coach Jim Camerota said. “They did whatever they wanted to do to us. We had 140 total yards in that game, so this is a tremendous turnaround for our kids.”

After a shouting match in warm-ups that was separated by officials and coaches, a back- and-forth battle ensued, ending with Wilson’s dramatic touchdown toss.

Oct. 26, 2012 1:10 p.m. | The second round of the WIAA high school football playoffs begins tonight and you can sign up and test your football predicting skills against local celebrities and sportswriters in MyCommunityNOW's Pigskin Picks playoff contest.

Weekly winners will receive a pair of movie passes to Marcus Theatres. Grand prizes at the end of the playoffs are Bartolotta Restaurants gift cards worth $100, $50 and $25.

Oct. 22, 2012 11:20 a.m. | Wisconsin's Medical Examining Board on Monday launched an investigation of a Greendale physician who was apparently never disciplined since admitting to molesting two Boy Scouts in 1987.

The case of Thomas Kowalski, 75, was revealed in secret Boy Scouts of America records that became public last week as part of litigation against the organization in California, and was reported locally Friday.

The records show that Kowalski was prohibited from further work among Scouts but was not prosecuted criminally after the victims' parents were told he would be reported to the medical board and was getting therapy.

The board indicated Friday that it had no record of any complaint against Kowalski, who was first licensed in 1964.

But the current chairman of the Medical Examining Board, Sheldon Wasserman of Milwaukee, said he wants more answers and ordered the investigation Monday.

Oct. 21, 2012 10:32 p.m. | Oak Creek - Candles flickered in the night at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin on Sunday as a community of faith gathered to return support that they received two months ago, as news of another mass shooting rocked the community.

On this night, about 50 people, most of them Sikhs, prayed for the families of three people who were killed and for four people who were injured when a gunman walked into a Brookfield spa Sunday morning and opened fire. The gunman apparently was targeting his wife, a spa employee.

"Light comes from darkness, and that's a way of healing when something tragic happens," Pardeep Kaleka said after the candlelight vigil at the temple.

Kaleka's father, temple president Satwant Singh Kaleka, was one of six people killed Aug. 5 at the temple when a white supremacist stormed in before Sunday prayer services and opened fire. Four others were injured before the gunman took his own life after being confronted and taken down by a police officer.

Pardeep Kaleka was at the temple for services Sunday morning when he received a text message about another shooting, this time at a Brookfield spa.

Oct. 20, 2012 7:19 a.m. | A mixture of a couple of strong drives and some big plays on defense and special teams gave the Franklin football team a 27-3 victory over Racine Horlick in a WIAA Division 1 playoff game on Friday.

The Sabers scored on marches of 65 and 66 yards and converted a blocked punt, fumble and interception into points in beating the Rebels.

The other factor in the victory was the Sabers’ defense, which held a potent Horlick attack led by multi-talented and athletic quarterback Rickey Neal Jr. to just 239 net yards.

Quarterback Sean McGuire added, “The defense really came to play. I give them all the credit in this game. They (the Rebels) obviously have a very special running quarterback who can destroy a team. I thought we came together as a team and stopped him real well.”

Oct. 19, 2012 1:16 p.m. | The Wisconsin Better Business Bureau will host “ShredFest” on Saturday – a free document shredding event that helps people protect themselves from identity theft, the top consumer complaint to the Federal Trade Commission in 2011.

The event will be held at the AnchorBank branch in Franklin, 7745 W. Rawson Ave. There is a limit of three boxes per car. AnchorBank and ProShred Security are co-sponsoring the event.

In 2011, there were 2,782 reported cases of identity theft in Wisconsin, according to the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network report. Of those, 42% (1,167) were from metro-Milwaukee residents. Most identity theft cases occur after personal information has been lost or stolen, which is why the BBB encourages consumers to dispose of unneeded personal documents responsibly.

If you don't need it, destroy it -- responsibly! For more information, go to www.wisconsin.bbb.org/shredfest.

Oct. 19, 2012 11:45 a.m. | We're a little bit more than seven hours away from the kickoff of tonight's first-round of the WIAA high school football playoffs, so there is still time to sign up and test your football predicting skills against local celebrities and sportswriters in MyCommunityNOW's Pigskin Picks playoff contest.

Weekly winners will receive a pair of movie passes to Marcus Theatres. Grand prizes at the end of the playoffs are Bartolotta Restaurants gift cards worth $100, $50 and $25.

Congratulations to Drew Hunkins of Waukesha, who was the overall winner in the regular-season version of Pigskin Picks. He earned a $100 Bartolotta gift card. Michael Cannon of New Berlin was second to claim a $50 gift card and Waukesha's Carl Liden finished third to win the $25 prize.

NOW sportswriter John Rech won the VIP contest, edging fellow sportswriter Tom "Sky" Skibosh by a game and reigning Miss St. Francis Colleen Mrotek by two games.

Oct. 17, 2012 6:40 p.m. | Greendale's historic district, a neighborhood that dates back to the 1930s, has been designated a national historic landmark by the U.S. Department of Interior.

Greendale was one of three government-sponsored "greenbelt" communities built during the Great Depression.

"The village represents a pivotal point in the evolution of the American suburb - when the talents and ideas of the nation's foremost designers, social theorists and economists coalesced to demonstrate a new strategy for decentralized community development," a statement from the department said Wednesday.

A jury found Keith M. London, 42, guilty on 17 counts of medical assistance fraud, according to state court records.

He was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison, a year and six months on extended supervision and ordered to pay $28,821 in restitution, according to the records.

In December 2008, London became a participant in the Medicaid-financed "Include, Respect, I Self-Direct" (IRIS) program, which allowed him to submit timesheets for hours worked by home care providers, according to a statement from Van Hollen's office.

According to the statement, between April 2009 and February 2010 London submitted timesheets for a man and a woman who he claimed provided him with home care services.

Oct. 17, 2012 4:18 p.m. | Punjab Singh, one of four people wounded in the Aug. 5 attack on the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek that left seven people dead, was released from Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa Wednesday, his family said.

Singh was the last of those hospitalized after the attack to be released.

Six people were killed in the attack before the gunman, Wade Michael Page, was taken down by a shot from an Oak Creek police officer. Page then killed himself.

In a statement Wednesday Singh's family expressed gratitude to the staff at Froedtert, "and to the people around the world who have kept him in their thoughts and prayers."

Oct. 17, 2012 9:51 a.m. | The first-round match ups are set in this season's WIAA football playoffs and you can test your football predicting skills against local celebrities and sportswriters by taking part in MyCommunityNOW's Pigskin Picks playoff contest.

Weekly winners will receive a pair of movie passes to Marcus Theatres. Grand prizes at the end of the playoffs are Bartolotta Restaurants gift cards worth $100, $50 and $25.

Drew Hunkins of Waukesha was the overall winner in the regular-season version of Pigskin Picks, earning a $100 Bartolotta gift card. Michael Cannon of New Berlin was second to claim a $50 gift card and Waukesha's Carl Liden finished third to win the $25 prize.

NOW sportswriter John Rech won the VIP contest, edging fellow sportswriter Tom "Sky" Skibosh by a game and reigning Miss St. Francis Colleen Mrotek by two games.

Oct. 16, 2012 8:22 p.m. | A Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office squad was struck by a car after the deputy got out to assist a vehicle that went into the ditch during the early morning hours of Oct. 14.

According to the Oak Creek police log:

Oak Creek police were assisting the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office when a driver exiting the freeway struck an unoccupied sheriff's squad about 12:30 a.m. Oct. 14. The deputy parked his squad to block the southbound Ryan Road off-ramp in order to assist a motorist who had driven his car into a ditch on the west side of the ramp.

The driver of the striking vehicle, an 18-year-old Racine woman, stated she was traveling about 65 mph onto the off-ramp during wet conditions and did not see that the ramp was closed. When she noticed the ramp was blocked she could not stop in time and struck the rear of the squad.

An employee at Branded Steer Restaurant, 1299 W. College Ave., called police after a customer reported his locked truck had been broken into about 8:15 p.m. Oct. 11. The rear passenger-side window was smashed to gain access to the personal property inside.

Items stolen from the vehicle were two HP laptop computers, a value of $2,400; two iPads, a value of $1,700; a Mac computer and a MacBook, a value of $4,000; a $250 Garmin GPS unit; a $1,000 fountain pen; a $200 Nissan remote key; a $100 backpack; a $400 computer bag and $200 worth of miscellaneous chargers. Damage to the truck is estimated at $250.

While investigating, an officer found another vehicle in the parking lot with a smashed driver-side window. The owner of the car was soon found and he confirmed that a $200 briefcase, a $3,000 Dell laptop computer and a $1,500 Panasonic projector had been stolen during the break-in. Damage to the car window was estimated at $250.

Oct. 16, 2012 8:10 p.m. | Four Illinois residents were arrested for committing two vehicle break-ins after they attempted to use a stolen credit card at Target on Oct. 10.

According to the Franklin police report:

Shortly after 6 p.m., police responded to Target, 7800 S. Lovers Lane Road, because an employee reported that four people were trying to use a stolen credit card to buy merchandise. The credit card had been stolen from a purse during a smash-and-grab that had occurred a short time earlier at Risen Savior Lutheran Church & Preschool on 95th Street and Drexel Avenue.

Upon further investigation, police discovered the same four people also were involved in a similar incident at Target on Oct. 5, when they used a stolen credit card to purchase $2,400 worth of merchandise. In that case the credit card they used had been stolen during a smash-and-grab that occurred at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in the 6800 block of South 51st Street.

Oct. 14, 2012 11:20 a.m. | Marching bands from Greendale and Waukesha North high schools extended their string of championship titles Saturday at the Wisconsin State Music Association's competition at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Greendale High School won its eighth straight championship in its Class AA division, and Waukesha North took its sixth consecutive victory in Class AAAA, the large school division.

Waukesha West finished second in the AAAA division, and Oak Creek High School marching band took third in the big school division.

In the Class AA division, New Berlin Eisenhower finished second and Fort Atkinson High School was third.

In Class AAA, Cedarburg High School was third. River Falls took first in that division and Merrill High School took second.

Oct. 12, 2012 11:44 p.m. | Coming off back-to-back losses, the Greendale football team needed to win its regular season finale to ensure a playoff berth.

On Senior Night, the honorees took matters into their own hands.

Led by superior line play on both sides of the ball, the Panthers exploded for four touchdowns in the second quarter en route to a 42-0 rout of Brown Deer, Oct. 12 at Greendale High School.

“Competition is a very fickle thing,” said Greendale head coach Rob Stoltz. “We’ve had a lot of things not go the way we had planned or anticipated to be certain, but this is a resilient group. That scoreboard doesn’t tell how talented Brown Deer is; they have talent. For our kids to do what they did tonight I thought was pretty special, and what a great memory for the seniors.”

The Panthers opened the game with a 79-yard drive that culminated in a 3-yard touchdown pass from Josh Ringelberg to junior wideout Mitchell Brees. Ringelberg was a perfect 4 for 4 passing on the drive and also rushed for 30 yards behind a steady push by his senior-led offensive line.

Oct. 12, 2012 11:28 p.m. | New Berlin West defeated Whitnall in one of the wildest, craziest, high school football games in Southeastern Wisconsin in 2012, 56-42. In so doing, the Vikings put themselves in prime position to qualify for the playoffs, improving to 4-4 in the Woodland Conference.

In an evening chock full of crazy plays, one may have made the difference.

Following an interception, Whitnall began a key drive early in the fourth quarter on its own 5-yard line yard line, trailing, 49-36. The Falcons marched all the way down the field and found themselves with a 1st and goal on the 8.

At this point, despite trailing by two touchdowns, the Falcons had all the momentum. Senior quarterback Zach Sutton was on fire that drive, hitting his previous four passes in short order to get to the 1st and goal situation. On first down, Sutton again dropped back to pass looking for a quick slant to the right, but junior linebacker Travis McKeon read Sutton's eyes and grabbed his second
interception of the evening.

“Our defensive line pressured the quarterback, our linebackers went to their zones, and the quarterback had to get rid of the ball, and it ended up in my hands” said McKeon.

Oct. 12, 2012 12:08 p.m. | Now that Waukesha's chosen water supplier, Oak Creek, is unexpectedly delaying the signing of a 50-year deal, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is reminding Waukesha officials of his willingness to negotiate selling them the water they need - if they agree to his terms.

In a letter to Waukesha Mayor Jeff Scrima and former Common Council President Paul Ybarra, Barrett does not back off from his past demand that no lake water would be distributed beyond Waukesha's current service area. The area essentially ends at the city's borders, with the exception of 112 or so Town of Waukesha property owners that have hooked up to municipal water over the years after experiencing problems with their wells.

Waukesha is asking the eight Great Lakes states to approve diverting Lake Michigan water inland for their residents and businesses so the city can stop using deep wells drawing radium-contaminated water from a sandstone aquifer. Each state must approve the request, under terms of a Great Lakes protection compact.

Barrett's strategy is to contain Waukesha's future growth by preventing distribution of lake water to a future water service area designated by the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission. The future area includes portions of the City of Pewaukee and towns of Delafield, Genesee and Waukesha.

Waukesha thought it had a supplier willing to serve the entire future area. On Oct. 2, both the Oak Creek and Waukesha common councils approved a water agreement.

Oct. 10, 2012 2:12 p.m. | Waukesha's request to divert Lake Michigan water inland to serve its residents will grind to a halt at the end of this year if Oak Creek's top utility official persists in his refusal to sign and carry out a water sales agreement with Waukesha.

Last week's Oak Creek Common Council resolution expressing the city's willingness to supply water to Waukesha will not, by itself, keep the application process moving forward, a state environmental official said.

The resolution simply authorized Steve Yttri, Oak Creek's water and sewer utility general manager, to sign a negotiated letter of intent.

Yttri confirmed this week that he will not sign the agreement "unless ordered to do so."

His bosses on the city's utility commission did not order him to sign when they met Tuesday.

Oct. 10, 2012 9:12 a.m. | A 34-year-old man was cited for for illegal burning after police responded twice in a week to the same Franklin duplex, including one incident where Sports Illustrated swimsuit issues were burned.

According to the police report:

An officer responding to a burning complaint found old Sports Illustrated swimsuit issues smoldering in the backyard of a duplex in the 3300 block of West College Avenue at 1:24 p.m. Oct. 1.

No one was home at the time. The officer extinguished the fire with the resident’s hose and warned the property owner, a 34-year-old man, about illegal burning.

He then was cited for illegal burning on Oct. 7 after he was caught burning items in his backyard at 2:50 p.m. Oct. 7.

Oak Creek’s defense proved the old adage true as the Knights defeated Racine Horlick, 39-20, to win at least a share of the Southeast Conference title.

“I told the players, 'That number ’12 is going to go up on that banner and that’s something you can bring your grandkids to, because that’s always going to be there,’” Oak Creek coach Mike Bartholomew said. “That’s a really big deal.”

Oct. 06, 2012 12:24 a.m. | Friday night's game between Wauwatosa West and Greendale was like a championship fight.

Back and forth, the Trojans and Panthers delivered blow after blow to one another, but in the end it was Tosa West who provided the knockout punch and was left standing in a classic high school football game.

Robert Davis’s interception in overtime sealed Tosa West’s 37-30 win, moving the Trojans to 6-1 and leaving the Panthers still one win shy of a playoff berth.

“I’m so proud of our guys, the way they competed,” Tosa West coach Matt Good said. “They had a couple of chances to fold up, and they stuck to their guns and they played hard. I’m so proud of our guys right now.”

Oct. 05, 2012 3:54 p.m. | The Greendale School District today issued a letter to parents asking community members to join a conversation about safe schools and anti-bullying efforts.

"The Greendale Schools and our community hold a shared belief that a child needs to feel safe physically, mentally and emotionally in order to perform to the best of his or her ability," the letter, signed by Superintendent John Tharp and School Board President Joe Crappito states, going on to reference the recent bomb scare at the high school. "...This incident provides us with a clear opportunity to take a closer look at school climate and the student experience in our schools."

To that end, the district is forming a task force aimed at combating problem behavior and bullying, as well as rewarding positive choices and actions. Topics will be discussed at the Parents as Partners Conference on Oct. 17.

Oct. 04, 2012 6:16 p.m. | Oak Creek will ask a Milwaukee County circuit judge to overturn a state Public Service Commission water rate order that has upended, at least temporarily, the city utility's willingness to carry out a water agreement with the City of Waukesha, Water & Sewer Utility General Manager Steve Yttri said Thursday.

While waiting for a court date, Oak Creek will petition the PSC on Oct. 10 for a new hearing on its order, Yttri said. The hearing before the PSC probably would be held within 30 days of the request.

At a meeting Tuesday, the Oak Creek Water & Sewer Commission will review this week's PSC order shifting significant costs of service from the city's wholesale customer community of Franklin to its retail base made up of Oak Creek residents and businesses, Yttri said. The local commission at that meeting will discuss the two-pronged response of a lawsuit and request for hearing.

The Water & Sewer Commission had given him authority last month to initiate a lawsuit against the PSC in the advent of an order deemed unfavorable to its resident ratepayers, he said.

Waukesha Water Utility General Manager Dan Duchniak must wait until the Tuesday meeting in Oak Creek to learn whether that city's Water & Sewer Commission will decide whether Yttri must sign the water pact while waiting for the appeals to play out.

Oct. 03, 2012 6:28 p.m. | Waukesha's agreement to buy Lake Michigan water at wholesale rates from Oak Creek is in jeopardy the day after it was approved by each city, Oak Creek Water & Sewer Utility General Manager Steve Yttri said Wednesday.

A state Public Service Commission ruling Wednesday in an Oak Creek water rate case from May 2011 would preclude the city from taking on additional wholesale customers if it cannot fully recover costs of serving them, according to Yttri.

Though the Oak Creek Common Council this week authorized Yttri to sign a letter of intent to sell water at wholesale rates to Waukesha, he does not plan to sign at this time, he said. The unexpected turn of events will be discussed Tuesday at a regular meeting of Oak Creek's Water & Sewer Utility Commission.

This is not a case of cold feet at the altar. It's more that the PSC changed the rules of cost recovery for him, Yttri said.

Oct. 03, 2012 9:39 a.m. | Count state Rep. Cory Mason (D-Racine) among opponents of the City of Waukesha's deal to buy Lake Michigan water from Oak Creek, particularly if Waukesha's wastewater is discharged to the Root River.

Both the Waukesha and Oak Creek common councils Tuesday approved a 40-year plan sending up to an average of 10.9 million gallons a day of lake water inland to Waukesha by mid-century.

Waukesha officials said Tuesday that the greater distance of building a pipeline to Racine put that city at a competitive disadvantage with Oak Creek.

The announced water deal is dependent on Wisconsin and the other seven Great Lakes states approving the historic diversion of water across the subcontinental divide separating the Lake Michigan and Mississippi River watersheds.

Though Mason did not speak publicly against the proposal in the last year while Waukesha negotiated a water deal with both Oak Creek and Racine, Mason said Wednesday he has long opposed Waukesha's request for lake water.

Oct. 02, 2012 9:19 p.m. | Greendale - The bomb threat on the wall of the boys' bathroom appeared before homecoming at Greendale High School last month: 3 DAYS TILL BOOM JK OR AM I?

Five days later, news of the arrest of Greendale senior Nicholas Olson, 17, spread quickly. But a twist in the case became the real talker: Instead of being charged with a felony for the alleged crime, prosecutors recommended a misdemeanor for Olson because of reports of prolonged teasing at the hands of his peers, including being voted onto the homecoming court as a joke this fall.

The incident now raises fresh questions about the extent and impact of peer bullying in area schools. Several Greendale parents say Olson's experience has exposed an undercurrent present in the district for years in this Milwaukee County suburb often applauded for its great schools and small-town feel.

Others say it's an opportunity to discuss more openly issues of school culture, respect and peer-to-peer behavior, a difficult area for many adults to police when students have multiple avenues to mistreat peers that go beyond outright verbal or physical abuse.

Olson is to make his first court appearance Wednesday. His misdemeanor charge carries a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine and 90 days in prison. As for Greendale, bomb threats are offenses that warrant discipline up to and including expulsion in schools.

A patrol officer executing a business check saw a person attempting to steal a catalytic converter off a vehicle inside the closed auto lot at Ewald, 6319 S. 108th St., about 1:30 a.m. Sept. 26. The 27-year-old Milwaukee man was arrested and cited for possession of burglary tools, attempted theft, prowling and criminal trespass to land.

A 30-year-old Milwaukee man who was walking in the area of the dealership at the time of the incident was questioned by police, who later linked him to the attempted theft. He was taken into custody in the 11100 block of West Forest Home Avenue and was cited for possession of burglary tools, attempted theft, bail-jumping, prowling, possession of marijuana and criminal trespass to land.

Oct. 02, 2012 12:42 p.m. | A 31-year-old Cudahy man has been charged with homicide in connection with a drunken driving crash in September that killed his passenger.

Derek J. Griebenow had consumed more than a half-gallon of beer in the hours before he blacked out at the wheel of his 2001 Pontiac Grand Am the evening of Sept. 17 and flipped near Divine Mercy School, 695 College Ave., South Milwaukee.

Jerome V. Robertson, 54, died later from injuries suffered in the crash.

According to the criminal complaint:

Griebenow woke to find to himself in the back seat of his overturned car, unable to get out, so he lighted a cigarette and called 911.

Oct. 01, 2012 2:02 p.m. | South Milwaukee — A 45-year-old South Milwaukee woman was charged with attempted first degree intentional homicide last week after allegedly shooting her roommate multiple times in the head.

Police responded to a residence on the 300 block of Southtowne Place at 1:37 a.m. Sept. 26 where they found a 56-year-old man injured from several gunshot wounds to the head. Officers arrested Laura L. Saxton, the victim’s roommate. She was later charged by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office with attempted first degree intentional homicide.

The victim was transported to Froedtert Hospital. According to the criminal complaint, he was shot with his own .22-caliber handgun Saxton allegedly stole from his bedroom two days before the incident. His right index finger was also wounded in the struggle and medical staff believed bullet fragments were lodged behind his right eye.

The victim has since been released from the hospital.

Saxton’s boyfriend was sleeping in her bedroom when she allegedly shot her roommate, who was laying down in his own bedroom at the time.

Oct. 01, 2012 10:47 a.m. | The undefeated Arrowhead High School football team (6-0, 5-0 Classic 8) continues its season-long run atop the MyCommunityNOW football poll this week, though the Warhawks are joined by four more undefeated squads.